Adogit

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)
Map of Scandza (Scandinavia), with a selection of tribes

Adogit were a Germanic tribe living in kingdom of Hålogaland, the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the medieval Norse sagas. They were inhabitants of Scandza (Scandinavia) mentioned by historian Jordanes in his work Getica.

Variants

Jat clans

Location

Hålogaland, the northernmost Norwegian Petty Kingdom. Between the Namdalen valley in Nord-Trøndelag and the Lyngen fjord in Troms.

History

The Gothic historian Jordanes in his work De origine actibusque Getarum (also known as Getica), written in Constantinople c. AD 551, mentions a people "Adogit" living in the far North. This could be an old form of háleygir and a possible reference to the petty kingdom of Hålogaland. Alex Woolf links the name Hålogaland to the aurora borealis — the "Northern Lights" —, saying that Hålogaland meant the "Land of the High Fire",[1] loga deriving from logi, which refers to fire. This is also largely discredited.

Hålogaland

Hålogaland was the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the medieval Norse sagas. In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hålogaland was a kingdom extending between the Namdalen valley in Trøndelag county and the Lyngen fjord in Troms og Finnmark county.[2]

Ancient Norwegians said that Hálogaland was named after a royal named Hölgi. The Norse form of the name was Hálogaland. The first element of the word is the genitive plural of háleygr, a 'person from Hålogaland'. The last element is land, as in 'land' or 'region'. The meaning of the demonym háleygr is unknown. Thorstein Vikingson's Saga, 1, describes it as a compound of Hial, "Hel" or "spirit," and "loge", "fire" - although this is largely discredited.

Hålogaland figures extensively in the Norse sagas, and in the Heimskringla, especially the Ynglinga Saga and Háleygjatal. It was inhabited by the race of Hölgi (Háleygja ætt) who was the eponymous hero of Hålogaland.[3]

In the saga, Heimskringla, a man called Gudlög led a number of Norwegian pirates that were fought by the Swedish king Jorund and king Godgest of Hålogaland was given a horse by the Swedish king Adils. The first earl of Lade, Håkon Grjotgardsson, ruler of Trøndelag, came from Hålogaland, and sought to extend his kingdom southwards. Here, he met with Harald Fairhair, and joined him.[4]

Archaeologists have uncovered the Chieftain House at Borg in Lofoten (På Borg på Vestvågøya i Lofoten), a large Viking Era building believed to have been already established around the year 500. Archaeological studies commenced here in 1983 and in 1986–89, a joint Scandinavian research project was conducted at Borg. Excavations brought to light remains of the largest building ever to be found from the Viking Era in Norway, 83 meters long and 9 meters high. The chieftain's seat at Borg is estimated to have been abandoned around AD 950. Today the site is the location of the Lofotr Viking Museum.[5][6]

Midsummer sun and the midwinter darkness

In the north, there was the nation of the Adogit (perhaps referring to the inhabitants of Hålogaland in Norway or the people of Andøya[7]) who lived in continual light during the midsummer (for forty days and nights) and in continual darkness (for as long) during the midwinter. Due to this alternation they go from joy to suffering (the first description of the Scandinavian winter depression). The sun moreover seemed to pass along the horizon rather than rise from below.

Inhabitants of Scandza

Jordanes names a multitude of tribes living in Scandza, which he named a womb of nations (loosely translated), and says they were taller and more ferocious than the Germans (archaeological evidence has shown the Scandinavians of the time were tall, probably due to their diet). This is a strong evidence that they were Jats. The listing represents several instances of the same people named twice, which was probably due to the gathering of information from diverse travellers[8] and from Scandinavians arriving to join the Goths, such as Rodwulf from Bohuslän.[9] Whereas linguists have been able to connect some names to regions in Scandinavia, there are others that may be based on misunderstandings.[10]

On the island there were the Screrefennae (i.e. Sami peoples[11]) who lived as hunter-gatherers living on a multitude of game in the swamps and on birds' eggs.

There were also the Suehans (Swedes) who had splendid horses like the Thuringians (Snorri Sturluson wrote that the 6th-century Swedish king Adils had the best horses of his time). They were the suppliers of black fox skins for the Roman market and they were richly dressed even though they lived in poverty.

There were also the Theustes (the people of the Tjust region in Småland), Vagoths (probably the Gutes of Gotland[12]), Bergio (either the people of Bjäre Hundred in Skåne, according to L Weibull, or the people of Kolmården according to others), Hallin (southern Halland) and the Liothida (either the Luggude Hundred or Lödde in Skåne, but others connect them to Södermanland[13]) who live in a flat and fertile region, due to which they are subject to the attacks of their neighbours.

Other tribes were the Ahelmil (identified with the region of Halmstad[14]), the Finnaithae (Finnhaith-, i.e. Finnheden, the old name for Finnveden), the Fervir (the inhabitants of Fjäre Hundred) and the Gautigoths (the Geats of Västergötland), a nation which was bold and quick to engage in war.

There were also the Mixi, Evagreotingis (or the Evagres and the Otingis depending on the translator), who live like animals among the rocks (probably the numerous hillforts and Evagreotingis is believed to have meant the "people of the island hill forts" which best fits the people of southern Bohuslän[15]).

Beyond them, there were the Ostrogoths (Östergötland), Raumarici (Romerike), the Ragnaricii (probably Ranrike, an old name for the northern part of Bohuslän) and the most gentle Finns (probably the second mention of the Sami peoples[16] mixed for no reason). The Vinoviloth (possibly remaining Lombards, vinili[17]) were similar.

He also named the Suetidi; a second mention of the Swedes[18][19] It can also be relevant to discuss if the term "Suetidi" could be equated with the term "Svitjod".[20] The Dani were of the same stock and drove the Heruls from their lands. Those tribes were the tallest of men.

In the same area there were the Granni (Grenland[21]), Augandzi (Agder[22]), Eunixi, Taetel, Rugii ([23]), Arochi ([24]) and Ranii (possibly the people of Romsdalen[25]). The king Rodulf was of the Ranii but left his kingdom and joined Theodoric, king of the Goths.

External links

See also

References

  1. ↑ Woolf, Alex (2007). From Pictland to Alba. p. 51.
  2. ↑ Thorsnæs, Geir. "Hålogaland". Store Norske Leksikon.
  3. ↑ Kristiansen, Roald E. "Vikingetid: Religion i det samiske og norrøne Nordnorge".
  4. ↑ Sandnes, Jørn. "Håkon Grjotgardsson". Norsk Biografisk Leksikon.
  5. ↑ [1]
  6. ↑ "Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg in Lofoten".
  7. ↑ Nerman, B. Det svenska rikets uppkomst. Stockholm, 1925. p.36
  8. ↑ Nerman, B. Det svenska rikets uppkomst. Stockholm, 1925. p.46
  9. ↑ Ohlmarks, Å. (1994). Fornnordiskt lexikon, p.255
  10. ↑ Burenhult 1996:94
  11. ↑ Nerman 1925:36
  12. ↑ Nerman 1925:40
  13. ↑ Nerman 1925:38
  14. ↑ Ohlmarks 1994:10
  15. ↑ Nerman 1925:42ff
  16. ↑ Nerman 1925:44
  17. ↑ See Christie, Neil. The Lombards: The Ancient Longobards (The Peoples of Europe Series). ISBN 978-0-631-21197-6.
  18. ↑ Nerman 1925:44
  19. ↑ Thunberg, Carl L. (2012). Att tolka Svitjod. University of Gothenburg/CLTS. p. 44. ISBN 978-91-981859-4-2.
  20. ↑ Thunberg 2012:44-52.
  21. ↑ Nerman 1925:45
  22. ↑ Nerman 1925:45
  23. ↑ RogalandNerman 1925:45
  24. ↑ HordalandNerman 1925:45
  25. ↑ Nerman 1925:45
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